JOURNALISM AND ME
It was 11th of March (my birthday), 1952, when a heretic named Ernesto Guavera was treading the contours of the Atacama desert in a quest to explore different faces of humanity. It was 23rd of March, 1931, when Bhagat Singh, aged 23 then (I am an year older to him at this juncture), embraced the gallows for the sake of a vision, an independent India.
On being rendered jobless after toiling for 4 years for an engineering degree, I was blessed with some leisure to introspect my aspirations from life. The sagacity of the aforementioned visionaries, and many more, had inculcated in me a sense of social awareness. A fervent desire that had perished a prolonged period of dormancy had started to make it’s presence felt. Journalism, other than the murky Indian politics, offers a platform to opine, get heard and get paid for it! A journalist is bestowed with the onus of bridging the gap between the truth and the mass, thus making it a socially responsible profession as well as a fulfilling experience. The respect and recognition the profession draws has served as an impetus for me to forego the lures of the IT industry and thrive for taking up social causes which have languished in the necropolis for long.
Couple of years down the line, I aspire to make my mark as a journalist whom the society looks up to for truth, logical and impartial opinion. If I succeed in making optimal use of the platform this profession provides to unravel the fallacies in society and make living a pleasure for even a handful of the needy in the process, I would consider my tenure well lived and well served.
Friday, March 26, 2010
The Split India Movement
I would risk my mere existence to prescribe a special screening of ‘Chakde India’ as a medication to the disease which has beseeched the revered scion of hate politics in India, Baalasaheb Thackeray, to disparage the might of the Indian Constitution time and over again. In a quest to forge a “Maharashtra for Maharashtrians”, the mighty soul has harbingered a series of lash outs against non Maharashtrians, be it a vow to flush out of Mumbai, migrants from UP and Bihar or nourishing a fervent desire to raise a Hindu terrorist faction to exterminate Muslims in India.
Let us retract a few paces in time to the era of British oppression in India. I believe that Baalasaheb is not oblivious of a certain Mangal Pandey, a Bhumiyar Brahmin from UP, who became a martyr, thus insinuating an unrest that eventually culminated to what is famously referred to as the ‘Sepoy Mutiny’. Pandey’s mantle was willingly shared by many. Maharashtra saw the emergence of brave hearts of the order of Rani Laxmibai, Nana Saheb and Tantiya Tope among others, who led a handful of men recalcitrant to British regime, with panache. Their legacy was carried forward by the likes of Baalgangadhar Tilak, Binayak Damodar Savarkar, Gopal Krishna Gokhle etc, who toiled their entire lifetime with the likes of the Lalbahadur Shastris and Jayprakash Narayans, to materialize a vision of free India. It is to remind Baalasaheb, who has mastered the art of staging agitations based on regional bias without an iota of compunction, that an independent India, which has offered him the platform and liberty to be atrocious and hostile to immigrants in Maharashtra, was born out of a vision that surmounted regional or cultural barriers.
Let us steal a sneak peek into how Baalasaheb and his acolytes have carved a niche for themselves in the murky Indian politics. That he has always been vocal about Muslim immigrants and insurgency in India calls for an applause. However, the remedies suggested to eradicate the trouble are worth sending a shiver through one’s spine. Touted as one of the perpetrators of Babri Masjid demolition, Baalasaheb had willingly disgraced the Indian constitution which espouses secularism and had been designed by Bhimrao Ambedkar, a visionary of Maharashtrian origin. His urge to generate a Hindu terrorist faction to annihilate Muslims in India, has been detrimental to his already prevalent radical image. Such opinion has attracted remonstrations from across the country, except from his political brethren with similar notions.
One can hardly avail to expect a softer stance from someone who has voiced his admiration for Hitler and even an ardent desire to emulate the mighty Nazi. In various interviews to Asia Week, Indian Express and Navkal, Baalasaheb has expressed a fervent appreciation for Hitler’s charisma, artistry and organizational skills. (I believe he had missed out on the organizational skills of his Indian predecessors like Swami Vivekananda or Subhash Chandra Bose, who has a more soothing and innocuous impact on world history).
It is unfortunate to reckon that Shiv Sena, over the years, has lost it’s sheen and is a sorry shadow of what it had set out to be at it’s inception. Befriended by a herd of lumpens, the party has indulged in a series of pogroms which has debilitated it’s appeal among the mass. This can be attributed to the party’s obsession with an almost nondescript Marathi culture at the cost of subjugating the more illustrious ones in comparison. The party’s tenacity to curb an individual’s freedom of expression has drawn ire from various quarters as well.
Let us consider a few examples of how Shiv Sena has been subjected to derision for it’s frivolous acts. Needless to say, Baalasaheb lambasting Sachin Tendulker has been touted as the pinnacle of his delirium in recent past. The ‘Little Master’ was convicted of going on air claiming to be an Indian over a Maharashtrian. Off late, Shahrukh Khan’s bewilderment at the exclusion of Pakistani cricketers from the current edition of the IPL registered him in the bad books of Baalasaheb.( Pakistan is the current T20 champions and the presence of pin up boys like Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik or Shoaib Akhtar would have boosted ticket sales!!).
Shiv Sena might tend to shove off such allegations under the wraps and blame it on media for such calumny and negative publicity. But one thing for sure is that the Shiv Sainiks find it condescending to make peace with their oppositions. How else does one explain a handful of vandals breaking into and ransacking Mumbai office of IBN Lokmat and IBN 7? This was obviously not a first time for Shiv Sainiks. Back in January 2008, they had been accused of vandalizing journalist Kumar Ketkar’s residence. Even the ‘Bombay Natural History Society’ was not spared of Shiv Sena’s wrath for still lingering on with ‘Bombay’ instead of ‘Mumbai’.
Another aspect where the Sena supreme scores low is the disparaging attitude he cherishes towards his political rivals. It all started in the 60’s with addressing South Indians as ‘lungiwallas’. ( Sir, how about a certain Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan who was selfless enough in sacrificing his precious life while evacuating hostages from Taj Mahal Palace Hotel as a part of operation Black Tornado, in YOUR MUMBAI?). His demeanor towards Rahul Gandhi has raised many eyebrows as the latter was ridiculed as ‘Rome putra’. I wonder what has held Baalasaheb back from denouncing ‘Mumbai Indians’, the IPL franchise owned by Mukesh Ambani. ( Baalasaheb seems to believe Mumbai is for Maharashtrians. Moreover, Mukesh Ambani is a Gujrati by origin).
To conclude, the time is ripe that Baalasaheb and his compatriots realize the need for a change in disposition and abstain from venting spleen on every individual convicted of puncturing Marathi sentiments. That ‘Marathi Manoos’ has a flexible loyality is evident with Congress being at helm for the last couple of years. The facetious approach adopted in implementing grave issues, in the form of hooliganism, makes the entire effort a mere baloney. With one in every four residents of Mumbai hailing from a non Maharashtrian background, a softer stance and acceptability towards a multi cultural Maharashtra would help Shiv Sena emerge out of the ashes with a revamped image and wider social acceptance. Further, it would relieve the octogenarian from the predicament of being touted as the harbinger of the ‘Split India Movement’.
I would risk my mere existence to prescribe a special screening of ‘Chakde India’ as a medication to the disease which has beseeched the revered scion of hate politics in India, Baalasaheb Thackeray, to disparage the might of the Indian Constitution time and over again. In a quest to forge a “Maharashtra for Maharashtrians”, the mighty soul has harbingered a series of lash outs against non Maharashtrians, be it a vow to flush out of Mumbai, migrants from UP and Bihar or nourishing a fervent desire to raise a Hindu terrorist faction to exterminate Muslims in India.
Let us retract a few paces in time to the era of British oppression in India. I believe that Baalasaheb is not oblivious of a certain Mangal Pandey, a Bhumiyar Brahmin from UP, who became a martyr, thus insinuating an unrest that eventually culminated to what is famously referred to as the ‘Sepoy Mutiny’. Pandey’s mantle was willingly shared by many. Maharashtra saw the emergence of brave hearts of the order of Rani Laxmibai, Nana Saheb and Tantiya Tope among others, who led a handful of men recalcitrant to British regime, with panache. Their legacy was carried forward by the likes of Baalgangadhar Tilak, Binayak Damodar Savarkar, Gopal Krishna Gokhle etc, who toiled their entire lifetime with the likes of the Lalbahadur Shastris and Jayprakash Narayans, to materialize a vision of free India. It is to remind Baalasaheb, who has mastered the art of staging agitations based on regional bias without an iota of compunction, that an independent India, which has offered him the platform and liberty to be atrocious and hostile to immigrants in Maharashtra, was born out of a vision that surmounted regional or cultural barriers.
Let us steal a sneak peek into how Baalasaheb and his acolytes have carved a niche for themselves in the murky Indian politics. That he has always been vocal about Muslim immigrants and insurgency in India calls for an applause. However, the remedies suggested to eradicate the trouble are worth sending a shiver through one’s spine. Touted as one of the perpetrators of Babri Masjid demolition, Baalasaheb had willingly disgraced the Indian constitution which espouses secularism and had been designed by Bhimrao Ambedkar, a visionary of Maharashtrian origin. His urge to generate a Hindu terrorist faction to annihilate Muslims in India, has been detrimental to his already prevalent radical image. Such opinion has attracted remonstrations from across the country, except from his political brethren with similar notions.
One can hardly avail to expect a softer stance from someone who has voiced his admiration for Hitler and even an ardent desire to emulate the mighty Nazi. In various interviews to Asia Week, Indian Express and Navkal, Baalasaheb has expressed a fervent appreciation for Hitler’s charisma, artistry and organizational skills. (I believe he had missed out on the organizational skills of his Indian predecessors like Swami Vivekananda or Subhash Chandra Bose, who has a more soothing and innocuous impact on world history).
It is unfortunate to reckon that Shiv Sena, over the years, has lost it’s sheen and is a sorry shadow of what it had set out to be at it’s inception. Befriended by a herd of lumpens, the party has indulged in a series of pogroms which has debilitated it’s appeal among the mass. This can be attributed to the party’s obsession with an almost nondescript Marathi culture at the cost of subjugating the more illustrious ones in comparison. The party’s tenacity to curb an individual’s freedom of expression has drawn ire from various quarters as well.
Let us consider a few examples of how Shiv Sena has been subjected to derision for it’s frivolous acts. Needless to say, Baalasaheb lambasting Sachin Tendulker has been touted as the pinnacle of his delirium in recent past. The ‘Little Master’ was convicted of going on air claiming to be an Indian over a Maharashtrian. Off late, Shahrukh Khan’s bewilderment at the exclusion of Pakistani cricketers from the current edition of the IPL registered him in the bad books of Baalasaheb.( Pakistan is the current T20 champions and the presence of pin up boys like Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik or Shoaib Akhtar would have boosted ticket sales!!).
Shiv Sena might tend to shove off such allegations under the wraps and blame it on media for such calumny and negative publicity. But one thing for sure is that the Shiv Sainiks find it condescending to make peace with their oppositions. How else does one explain a handful of vandals breaking into and ransacking Mumbai office of IBN Lokmat and IBN 7? This was obviously not a first time for Shiv Sainiks. Back in January 2008, they had been accused of vandalizing journalist Kumar Ketkar’s residence. Even the ‘Bombay Natural History Society’ was not spared of Shiv Sena’s wrath for still lingering on with ‘Bombay’ instead of ‘Mumbai’.
Another aspect where the Sena supreme scores low is the disparaging attitude he cherishes towards his political rivals. It all started in the 60’s with addressing South Indians as ‘lungiwallas’. ( Sir, how about a certain Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan who was selfless enough in sacrificing his precious life while evacuating hostages from Taj Mahal Palace Hotel as a part of operation Black Tornado, in YOUR MUMBAI?). His demeanor towards Rahul Gandhi has raised many eyebrows as the latter was ridiculed as ‘Rome putra’. I wonder what has held Baalasaheb back from denouncing ‘Mumbai Indians’, the IPL franchise owned by Mukesh Ambani. ( Baalasaheb seems to believe Mumbai is for Maharashtrians. Moreover, Mukesh Ambani is a Gujrati by origin).
To conclude, the time is ripe that Baalasaheb and his compatriots realize the need for a change in disposition and abstain from venting spleen on every individual convicted of puncturing Marathi sentiments. That ‘Marathi Manoos’ has a flexible loyality is evident with Congress being at helm for the last couple of years. The facetious approach adopted in implementing grave issues, in the form of hooliganism, makes the entire effort a mere baloney. With one in every four residents of Mumbai hailing from a non Maharashtrian background, a softer stance and acceptability towards a multi cultural Maharashtra would help Shiv Sena emerge out of the ashes with a revamped image and wider social acceptance. Further, it would relieve the octogenarian from the predicament of being touted as the harbinger of the ‘Split India Movement’.
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